Means fob sealing tin-tie bags



May 30, 1939 H. MATCHETT MEANS FOR SEALING TIN-TIE BAGS- Filed Feb. 28,, 1938 INVENTOR. Henry I.Maici2 e125,

ATTORN Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR SEALING TIN-TIE BAGS Henry I. Matchett, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 193,007

, 8 Claims.

The object of the invention is broadly to provide improved means for sealing bags, and especially those which are of the so-called tintie type, together with improved methods of making and sealing the same, this application being a continuation-impart of co-pending application Serial No. 142,457, filed May 13, 1937.

Another object is to provide one form of bag of this type in which a portion of one wall of the bag, and preferably the upper edge portion thereof, is provided with a tin-tie, the opposite ends of which initially extend freely beyond the lateral limits of the bag when its upper end is closed, and are each provided with initially depending tabs which are gummed upon one side, so that after the bag has been filled, its open end collapsed, and with said tin-tie folded over as many times as desired, and the end portions of the ;tin-tie have been folded reversely upon the adjacent laterally opposite edges of the bag, .said flaps are secured by said adhesive to the then adjacent wall surface of the bag, so as to secure said tin-tie ends in operative locking position, to prevent opening of the bag without first destroying said tabs as a sealing means. 4

A further object is to provide a modified form of bag of this type, which is similar to the form first described, but in which the opposite sides of the depending tabs are provided with adhesive,

so that upon closing the top of the bag and folding over the free edge portion thereof an odd number of times, either more or less than the number of folds for the first-mentioned type, the tin-tie end portions may be. so bent reversely, as

that wall of the bag towards which the top is folded, after which said tabs may besecured by said adhesive to either or both of said folded portion and the adjacent wall surface of the bag.

Still another type comprises a bag and tin-tie construction of the last-mentioned type, but hav- 'ing more elongated depending tabs, so that when the bag is finally closed and its top folded over as in the first instance, said tabs will extend upwardly and over the closed end, and thence downwardly over the junction line between the folded portion and that wall towards which the latter is folded, or at least to said junction line, and either a limited portion or all of said tabs being made to adhere to the adjacent wall surfaces.

A still further object is toprovide a modified form similar to the first-mentioned form or type, but with the said tabs initially extending freely upwardly, so that upon closing and folding the top of the bag in the usual manner, and reversely to thereafter extend beside the outer surface of folding the tin-tie ends as before, the said tabs extend downwardly upon and are secured to the plain or unbroken wall surface of the bag.

And still another object is to provide a further modified type, in which either the depending or the upstanding tabs are elongated, and provided with adhesive ,upon portions of their opposite surfaces, so that after the bag is closed and sealed by reversely bending the ends of the tin-ties, said tabs may be secured by such adhesive first in one direction, and then bent reversely, upwardly and over the closed top of the bag, and sealed by said adhesive to as much of the opposite wall surface of the bag as may be desired, even to the extent of spanning the junction line between the folded portion of the bag and the surface of the wall.

towards which such folded portion is directed.

With the objects thus briefly enumerated, said invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. I is a rear elevational view of the upper portion of a bag equipped with a tin-tie sealing means comprising one embodiment of the invention and appearing in co-pending application Serial No. 142,457; Fig. II is an elevational view of the same bag after it has been closed and sealed by one end of the tin-tie, the other end of the tin-tie still being in freely extending position, and its operative sealing position being indicated by dot-and-dash lines; Fig. III is a front elevational view of a form similar to the types shown in Figs. I and II, but with the adhesive bearing surface of the depending sealing tabs directed forwardly instead of rearwardly; Fig. IV is an elevational view of the form shown in Fig. III after the bag has been closed, the tintie ends reversely bent into operative position and the tabs made to adhere to the adjacent surfaces of the bag; Fig. V is a front elevational view of a form very similar to that shown in Fig. 111, but with more elongated depending sealing tabs; Figs. -VI and Via are respectively fragmentary portions of the forward and rear surfaces of the upper portion of the type of bag shown in Fig. V, to illustrate the method of employing' the elongated initially depending tabs to seal the bag; Fig. VII

is a rear elevational Viewer 8. form very similar I sealed; Fig. IX is a. rear elevational view of a form quite similar to that shown in Fig. I, but with relatively more elongated depending tabs, somewhat similar to those shown in Fig. V, but the upper portions of the tabs in this case being provided with adhesive upon their initially rear surfaces, while the lower portions of said tabs are provided with adhesive upon their initially forward surfaces; Fig. X is an elevational view of the same rear side of the bag of Fig. IX and with the ends of the tin-tie reversely bent, so as to seal the bag, but with one of the initially depending tabs secured at its upper portion to said rear surface, while its lower portion depends freely therefrom and the other tab is shown as having been secured at its upper portion to such rear surface of the bag and thence folded reversely upwardly and over the top and forward surfaces of the bag; and Fig. XI is a side elevation of the form shown in Figs. IX and X, viewed from the right-hand edge of the bag, as positioned in Fig. X.

Referring to Figs. I and II of the drawing, the upper portion of any bag, to which the present invention may be adapted, is shown as comprising what will be termed for purposes of illustration, rear and front walls I and 2, though the designation of rear and front is merely arbitrary in this case, and has no special significance. To the upper portion and adjacent to the free edge of said rear wall is secured a flap 3, the upper portion 4 of which carries and preferably surrounds a so-called tin-tie 5, which comprises the usual initially freely extending arms projecting laterally beyond the edges of the bag, said arms carrying depending tabs 6 which in this instance are shown as being provided with adhesive upon their initial rear surfaces. It is to be understood that the flap 3, instead of initially being separate from and normally secured to the rear wall of the bag, may comprise an integral extension of said rear wall, while said tabs, not being carried ,by the oppositely extending end portions of said tin-tie, may comprise either integral extensions of the flap 3 (or of the rear wall of the bag when said flap is not a separate element), or may comprise separate pieces of paper or the like, entirely 4 independent of said flap or said rear wall other than that they are secured thereto through the medium of the supporting tin-tie.

In this form of the device, after the bag has been, filled and has been closed by bringing the upper portions of its forward and rear walls together, first the tin-tie portion of said flap, and

thereafter said flap together with the said front and rear walls, are folded over, preferably an even numberof times, as indicated by the lines I, after which the ends of the tin-tie are folded reversely and the depending adhesive-carrying surface of the tabs 6 secured to the rear wall surface of the bag, as indicated at the right hand side of Fig. II, and by the dot-and-dash lines on the left-hand side thereof. This operation having been completed, it is obvious that before the ends of the tin-tie can be again bent into alignment in oppositely directed positions, the tabs 6 must be mutilated, or completely severed, thereafter indicating that the bag has been previously sealed and the sealing means broken and, consequently preventing one from'replacing the original contents of the bag with other contents of possibly inferior quality, and thereafter representing the newly acquired contents as being the game as that with which the bag'was originally lled.

Referring to Figs. DI and IV, a slightly modified form is here shown as comprising a fiap l0 carrying a tin-tie II and depending tabs l2, similar in every respect to the corresponding elements shown in Figs. I and II, but said tabs instead being provided with adhesive upon their initially forward surfaces, instead of upon the rear surfaces thereof. After the bag in this case has been closed and folded along the lines l3, as in the former case, and the opposite ends of the tin-tie bent reversely in this instance about the forward surface of the bag, said tabs are secured by the adhesive to the'forward surface of the resulting folded portion I4 and to the adjacent upper portion of the forward wall surface 2, as shown in Fi IV.

Referring to Figs. V, VI and VIa, a construction quite similar to that shown in Figs. 11 and III is here shown as comprising a tin-tie 20, secured as before to the rear wall I of the bag and provided with elongated depending tabs 2|, carrying adhesive upon their initially forward surfaces, and the upper portion of said bag and the tin-tie carrying flap 22 being adapted for folding a preferably odd number of times, as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines 23. After this form of the bag has been closed and its upper end folded, the tabs 2| initially extend upwardly so that they can be, and in fact are, thereupon secured at first to the rear wall surface I, thence to the forward surface of the folded portion 24, and their free terminal portions finally secured at 25 to the forward wall surface 2, as indicated in Fig. VI and Wu.

The modified form shown in Figs. VII and is similar in many ways to that shown in Figs. I and III, and comprises an initially separate flap (or integral extension of the rear wall I of the bag), which flap carries the usual transversely extending tin-tie 3|, which in turn supports initially upstanding tabs 32, the upper portion of said bag and said flap, when present as such, being adapted for folding a preferably odd number of times, such as along the three dot-anddash'lines 33, so that said tabs finally extend downwardly and are adapted to be secured to the rear wall surface I of the bag, after the ends of the tin-tie have been reversely bent, as shown in Fig. VIII.

Referring to Figs. IX, X'and XI, the form here shown is quite similar to that shown in Figs. I I

their rear surfaces, and lower portions 44 provided with adhesive upon their forward surfaces. When this type of bag is closed and its upper portion together with said flap folded an even number of times, as indicated on the dot-and-dash lines 45, the opposite ends of the tin-tie are finally bent reversely around and into adjacent relation with the rear wall surface I, whereupon the upper portions 43 of the tabs 42 are first secured in depending position to said rear ba'g wall, 'after which said tabs are reversely folded upwardly over the adjacent end portion of said tingtie, thence over the top of the closed portion of the bag, and finally into a position adjacent to the forward surface 2 of the bag to which they are sealed, as partly indicated in Fig. XI.

In each of the forms herein described, it will be noted that the bag is provided with a tin-tie which in turn carries a tab, preferably upon each the bag and tin-tie are respectively closed and folded in the usual manner, said tabs are em- Ployed to seal the adjacent ends of the tin-tie to one of the wall surfaces of the bag, and in certain instances both to such wall surfaces and to the adjacent surfaceof the folded portion of the bag, but in either case being so secured that a positive sealing of the initially open end of the bag is insured, with the result that such sealing tab or tabs must first be mutilated or entirely destroyed as an effective sealing means before the ends of the tin-tie can be extended into their initial positions, so as to permit a re-opening of the bag and access to the contents thereof.

It is also to be understood that, while the tinties herein described and shown on the accompanying drawing are positioned adjacent to the upper free edge portion of the bag in each instance, such tin-tie may instead be located beneath such upper edge and at any desired distance thereon. Similarly, other minor changes may be made in the details of construction and longer than the other, so as to thereby'bring its attached tab more nearly toward, or actually in the center of, the adjacent wall of the bag when folded and sealed. Furthermore, the tin-ties may be secured to the desired portion of a wall of the bag by means of cleats or in fact any other form of fastening means than the flap shown in the drawing; while the tin-ties can also be made to function by rolling them in and together with the folded portion of the bag, instead of being actually secured to a bag wall, either before or after the folding operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. 'A bag, comprising rear and front walls, and a sealing member comprising a flap secured'to said rear wall and having an upwardly projecting tin-tie extension, the oppositely directed arms of which project initially beyond the sides of the bag, and gummed tabs initially depending from said arms, said extension and the adjacent portions of the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over upon said front wall, and said arms bent reversely around the adjacent sides of the bag and towards each other upon said rear wall and said tabs then being secured to said rear wall, to secure'said arms in reversely folded position, and prevent the release of said arms and reopening 'of the bag without destruction of said tabs.

2. A bag, comprising two walls, a tin-tie supported by one of said walls, the oppositely directed arms of which initially project freely beyond the lateral edges of said supporting wall, a relatively flexible tab carried by each of the said projecting arms, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said arms thereafter bent reversely around the collapsed sides of the bag and towards each other adjacent to one of said bag walls, said tabs being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to the adjacent bag wall, to secure said arms in reversely bent position and thereby prevent the release of said arms and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction or separation of the tabs from said adjacent bag wall. 5

3. A bag, comprising two walls, a'tin-tie supported by one of said walls, the oppositely directed arms of which'initially project freely beyond the lateral edges of saidsupporting wall, a relatively flexible tab carried by each of the said projecting arms, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over upon the other of said walls a plurality of folds after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said arms thereafter bent reversely 5 around the collapsed sides of the bag and towards each other adjacent to said other wall, said tabs being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to said other wall, to secure said arms in reversely bent position and thereby prevent the release of said arms and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction or separation of the tabs from said adjacent bag wall.

4. A bag, comprising two walls, -a tin-tie supported by one of said walls and inrturn comprising an arm initially projecting freely beyond a lateral edge of said supporting wall, a relatively flexible tab carried by said arm, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said arm thereafter bent reversely around the adjacent collapsed side of the bag and adjacent to one of the bag walls, said tab being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to the adjacent bag wall, to secure said arm in reversely bent position, and thereafter prevent the release of said arm and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction, or separation of the tab from said adjacent bag wall.

5. A bag, comprising two walls, a tin-tie sup- 0 ported by one of said walls and in turn comprising an arm-initially projecting freely beyond a lateral edge of said supporting wall, a relatively flexible tab carried by said arm, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over uponf 5 the other of said walls a plurality of folds, after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said armthereafter bent reversely around the adjacent collapsed side of the bag and adjacent to said other wall, said tab being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to said other wall, to secure said. arm in reversely bent position, and thereafter prevent the release of said arm and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction, or separation of the tab from said adjacent bag wall.

6. A bag, comprising two walls, a tin-tie supported by one of said walls, the oppositely directed arms of which initially project freely beyond the lateral edges of said supporting wall, a relatively 0 flexible tab carried by each of the said projecting arms, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said arms thereafter bent reversely 5 around the collapsed sides of the bag and towards each other adjacent to one of said bag walls, said tabs being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to the folded portion containing the tin-tie and to the opposite bag wall, to secure said arms in reversely bent position and thereby prevent the release of said arms, the unfolding of said folded portion and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction, or separation of the tabs from said adjacent bag wall.

7. A bag, comprising two walls, a tin-tie supported by one of said walls and in turn comprising an arm initially projecting freely beyond a lateral edge of said supporting wall, a relatively flexible tab carried by said arm, said tin-tie and the walls of the bag being adapted to be folded over after the sides of the bag have been collapsed and said walls brought together, and said arm thereafter bent reversely around the adjacent collapsed side of the bag and adjacent to one of the bag walls, said tab being then adapted for securing directly as by adhesive to the folded portion containing the tin-tie and to the opposite bag wall, to secure said arm in reversely bent position, and thereafter prevent the release of said arm, the unfolding of said folded portion and reopening of the bag without mutilation, destruction or separation of the tab from said adjacent bag wall.

8. A ba'g, comprising rear and front walls, and a sealing member comprising a flap secured to said rear wall and having an upwardly projecting tin-tie extension, the oppositely directed arms of which project initially beyond the sides of the bag, and relatively flexible tabs initially extending to secure said arms in reversely folded position,

and prevent the release of said arms and reopening of the bag without destruction of said tabs.

HENRY I. MATCHETT. 

